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Basic Etiquette of Modern Jive

Unfortunately, we now seem to be in an age where the art of dancing with a partner has been lost. Therefore, below is outlined some of the very basic information you'll need to know about modern jive. (If you already dance then don't feel patronised, most of the stuff below hasn't been written for you.)

It Takes Two To Tango

Indeed it takes two to do any partner dance, so grab someone to dance with. You don't have to know them, in fact Modern Jive is a brilliant way to get to know people.

Alternatively - "If you can't find a partner use a wooden chair", Elvis Presley.

Lead and Follow

Partner dancing means that one person, THE MAN, leads and the other, THE WOMAN, follows. Yes it's sexist, but if both partners tried to dictate what happens next it would be wrestling not dancing.

The Beat

Modern Jive dancing follows the simple "on" beat of the music. This is the beat you clap your hands to. Where moves described the "1st Beat", this is the first beat in a bar of music.

Putting the Moves Together

You can mix and match any of the moves to form a routine. As your dancing gets more profficient you will find that you cease to think about what comes next and move seamlessly from move to move with the music. The first beat described in the instructions is there to "catch" the beat and initiate the dance, to join moves together simply drop this first beat from the next move you're going to do.

Music

You can dance Modern Jive to almost any piece of popular music from the last 50 years. Start with something slow and as you get more confident build up to faster music. A few good starters would be: "Moondance" Van Morrison, "Mustang Sally" The Commitments, "Sweet Home Chicago" The Blues Brothers, or "My Baby Just Cares For Me" Nina Simone.

Over Three Hundred Moves and Variations

There are essentially only 4 basic moves - Arm Jive, First Move, Push Spin and Lady Spin; but these form just the tip of a very large iceberg. You will learn other moves to extend these every week so that over time your repertoire will increase. Even so with only a couple of moves under your belt you can still look brilliant on any dancefloor.

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